As commonly known in the art, syringes are medical devices used to inject fluids into a body and/or withdraw fluids from within a body or its cavities. Conventional medical syringes typically include a barrel portion with one end configured to mate with a conventional piercing element, such as a pointed hollow needle or cannula. A plunger rod is inserted through the opposing end of the barrel portion. By engaging the plunger rod with an elastomeric stopper element fitted in a fluid-tight manner within the interior of the barrel, a user can apply manual force to the plunger to either withdraw or deliver the syringe contents.
During use, it is not uncommon for the needle portions to be involved in accidental needle sticks or punctures. Such puncture incidents can pose a great health risk to medical personnel via the accidental transmission of pathogens and/or pharmacological substances. Thus, it is of utmost importance to provide protection for medical personnel from pathogen-contaminated blood, body fluids, and/or pharmacological substances still present in or on the syringe needle.
Immediately following use of a syringe, a syringe protector can be positioned over the needle cannula, thus preventing an accidental needle prick. A syringe protector should remain permanently affixed to the syringe in order to provide the highest degree of protection in the handling and disposal of the used syringe. Further, as medical syringes are frequently used during times of emergency or high stress, it is highly desirable that a syringe protector be simple to use and be composed of few pieces in order to be most easily employed. Finally, due to the high volume of syringes used daily in hospitals, laboratories, clinics and residential homes, the components of a syringe protector should be easily and inexpensively formed by mass production.
Previous syringe protectors have failed to meet these criteria. Existing syringe protectors are typically composed of numerous small pieces, do not permanently occlude the needle portion of a syringe, and/or are not readily compatible with a conventional medical syringe. There is a need for a syringe protector which is easily and permanently affixed to a conventional medical syringe without special tools, especially during times of high stress and relative inattention such as during emergencies. There also exists a need for a syringe protector that is comprised of a minimal number of parts which are easily formed using mass production techniques. Various aspects of the present disclosure address these needs.